DISC News Items - Updated 22/05/08

This is no fairytale...
May 22 2008 by Andy Passant, Evening Gazette

MEET Moody, Stoney, Easy, Speedy, Snorty, Dizzy, and Snoozy. The alternative seven dwarves were helping to put across an anti-drugs message on Teesside.

Drugs and alcohol project workers came up with the idea in order to promote the work they do to keep young people safe. The dwarves were joined by Snow White and the wicked witch. Snow White – the advice and support worker – had her hands full keeping the wicked witch – the drug dealer – at bay.

She was explaining to Moody, Stoney, Easy, Speedy, Snorty, Dizzy and Snoozy the effects of their respective drugs - steroids, cannabis, ecstasy, speed, cocaine, alcohol and prescription drugs - and how to change their lives. The drugs and alcohol workers were talking to the public and handing out information sheets at the Life store in The Mall shopping centre in Middlesbrough.

Visits were also being made to Stockton, Hartlepool and Redcar as part of National Tackling Drugs Week. Debbie Simmons is from Platform, a Middlesbrough-based specialist drugs and alcohol service for young people.

She said: “We thought that by giving the Snow White story a thought-provoking twist, more young people would take note of important messages about the effects of drugs and alcohol.

“They attracted a lot of attention. The response was very positive.”

Platform is part of social inclusion charity Developing Initiatives Supporting Communities (DISC). Its work has included developing an education pack to help teachers to deliver drug and alcohol education. Other Platform team members have carried out training to enable professionals across Teesside to assess the first signs of drug and alcohol use in young people.

Updated 22/05/08